Toothpick dispenser



Augo 23, 1194-9. 0115 I 2,479,55Q

TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed Dec. 25, 1946 :4 T TOENE Y6 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Louis w. Otis: Seattle, Wash.

Application December 23, 1946, Serial No. 717,981

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-84) mus invention relates to toothpick holders and dispensers and it has reference more particularly to a device of a kind suitable for use in restaurants and at lunch counters, in which a substantial supply of toothpicks may be stored and from which they may be dispensed for use one at a time.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a device of the above stated character having a storage compartment and embodying a novel arrangement of parts whereby a regulated flow or delivery of the toothpicks from the storage compartment to the delivery element is eifected, thus to insure against the dispensing of the toothpicks in excessive numbers.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device including a housing in which the toothpicks'will be retained in a sanitary condition and which prevents them being picked out by hand.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of an agitator element of novel kind whereby the tooth picks are caused to advance only as needed from the storage compartment to position to be picked up and discharged by the dispensing member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts and in their mode of operation as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- 'Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toothpick holder and dispenser embodied by the present invention.

Fig, 2 is a top or plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the device as seen on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of a part of the dispensing roller and agitator means.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In its present preferred form of construction, the device comprises a housing of a box-like character; having parallel opposite side walls I and la, a rear end wall 2 and a front end wall member 3 that joins the side wall members I and I a across their upper portions, as best shown in Fig. 1. The top of the housing preferably is downwardly and forwardly sloped and is closed with a transparent panel 4 of glass or other suitable material that will permit the user to see the toothpicks that are contained in the device.

This panel is held at its edges in grooves formed 2 in the wall members and may be slipped out when it is desired to fill the housing with toothpicks.

Revolubly mounted transversely of the housing, slightly spaced from its front end wall 3 and about midway between the top and bottom edges of theside walls, is a horizontally disposed deliv ery roller 5, formed at its opposite ends with sup porting trunnions 6--6 that project rotatably through openings 1 in the side walls I and la: these trunnions, aside from being supports, serve as handle means whereby the roller may be rotated .for the dispensing of the toothpicks as will presently be explained.

Mounted in the housing between the back wall 2 and roller 5 is a bottom wall [0. This is downwardly inclined from wall 2 toward the roller as shown in Fig. 3 and lies substantially in the plane of its axis. Also, extended between the opposite side walls of the housing, above the wall Ill, is a partition wall l2 that sets off a compartment l3 at one side thereof in which the supply of toothpicks, as shown at I5 in Fig. 3, may be held. Thispartition wall I2 is inclined toward the roller and its lower edge is somewhat spaced from the bottom wall In to provide a relatively narrow passage l6 between them. This prevents more than one or two of the tooth picks passing at a time from the compartment l3 into the roller containing compartment; this latter compartment being designated by reference character I! in Fig. 3.

Extended between the opposite side walls of the housing below the roller 5 is a downwardly and forwardly inclined wall 20. This extends beyond the Wall 3 and at its forward end has an upturned lip 22 forming a retaining trough in which the dispensed toothpicks will be retained until picked up. The trough has its medial portion cut away to provide a finger recess 23 that gives easy access to the tooth picks as delivered into the trough.

Mounted in the roller in alignment lengthwise thereof, as noted best in Fig. 2, are one or more pairs of studs 2424. These studs extend about one-sixteenth of an inch from the roller surface and the distance apart of the studs of each pair is somewhat less than the length of the tooth picks that are to be dispensed. In Fig. 3 I have shown the roller as being equipped with two pairs of studs, located at diametrical opposite sides of the roller.

Extending along the top surface of the bottom wall ID are two parallel spring metal strips 2525. These strips are fixed at their ends adjacent to the wall 2 by an overlying cleat 21 which 3 holds the strips yieldingly and flatly against the wall H), and they extend through the passage 5 and terminate closely adjacent the roller 5 in such position that as the roller is turned in the direction of the arrow thereon in Fig. 3, the paired studs will simultaneously contact with their ends and will slightly lift the strips from the bottom wall then allow them to snap back against it as the studs disengage the strips. This lifting and snapping action of the spring strips efiects an agitation of the toothpicks as contained in the compartment l5 and causes them to work through the passage i6 and to move along the strips toward the roller and finally to come to rest thereagainst- It will be explained that the lower edge of the bottom wall H3 is sufficiently close to the roller surface that the tooth picks cannot pass down wardly between them. Also, the edge of the wall is formed with channels, as at 30 in Fig. 4, through which the studs 242 l may pass as the roller is turned. A tooth pick that comes to rest against the roller surface will be picked up by paired studs as the roller is turned and will be carried thereby upwardly and over the top of the roller and thendischarged downwardly through the space 35 that is between the roller and front end wall 3 and will fall onto the inclined wall 20 and will be retained in the trough, This trough opens upwardly and the :tooth pick may beeasily picked up therefrom as will be understood by reference to Fig. 3.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, it is used as follows:

First, a supply of toothpicks is placed in the compartment l5, care being taken to see that they are laid parallel and transversely of the compartment and not packed but loosely placed.

Then the roller 5 is rotated by means of one of the trunnion portions that extend tov opposite side-s of the housing. As it is rotated, the paired studs 2424 will engage the free ends of the spring strips 25 and the resultant liftin and snapping action of these strips causes the tooth picks in the compartment l3 to be agitated and to advance beneath the partition wall 12 and to move toward and finally come to rest against the roller. Then as the roller is turned, paired studs wil pick up the tooth picks one at a time from the ends of the strips by reason of their limited length, and the tooth picks will thus be carried over the top of the roller and discharged one at a time into the pickup trough. r

In order that the roller may not turn too freely, one or more friction spring strips an as shown in Fig. 3 are mounted in position to bear against it. As shown, the spring strips are locatedv in the lower part of the housing beneath wall I!) and extend from the back wall 2 forwardly andover the top edge of the inner end portion ofthe in underside'oi the roller.

less ornamental as des red, and asidefrom affording a sanitary and convenient dispensing means, they also are attractive to the user.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new t rein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

ned wall 2.0 and have ends fixed to wall Zia-rid on inner end portions bear frictionally Devices of this kind may e made more/or.

1. In a tooth pick dispenser of the character described, a horizontally disposed and rotatably mounted dispensing roller, a compartment in which tooth picks may be held parallel with the roller, havin a bottom wall sloped downwardly therefrom to the adjacent side of the roller, paired studs mounted in the roller surface in spaced relationship lengthwise thereof, and projecting a distance for the pickup of a single tooth pick thereon at a time in a dispensing operation, and saidstripsdisposed'upon the slop- 7 ing wall for the passage of the toothpicks thereover and extending transversely to the length of the toothpicks and adapted to be engaged by the paired studs on rotation of the roller to agitate the toothpicks and cause them to feed toward the roller;

' 2. In a tooth pick dispenser of the character described, a horizontally disposed and rotatably mounted dispensing roller, a compartment in which tooth pic may be h l in storage parall l with the r ller, havin a bottom all sloped downwardly therefrom tot-he adjacent side of he roller and a sid wall-parallel with the roller and spaced from the bottom wall to provide a re stricted outlet forthe outflow of tooth picks along the sloping wall to the roller and paired si l ds mounted in the roller surface in spaced relationship lengthwise thereof; and projecting a distance for the pick up of asingle tooth pick thereon at a time in a dispensin operation, Spr n s rips d sp s d u o the slopin bottom W ll ath the st red to th picks and extended through the restricted outlet and terminating adjacent the roller in position to be engaged by the paired studs during a dispensing operation thus to agitate the stored picks and cause them to feed toward the roller. i

3; A tooth pick dispenser comprising a housing, a roller mounted horizontally androtatably therein and having supporting trunnions extended-from the housin for its rotation, in dispensing the tooth picks, a storage compartment in the housing having a bottom wall sloped downwardlyto the adjacent side of the. roller and a side wall parallei-"with and spaced from the N11?! and spaced- ;from the loottomwa'll to Provide a res ricted outlet, agitatin strips dis. po ed upon the slopin wall beneath the stored toothpicks and extended through the restricted outlet and terminatin adjacent the; roller, m ans proiectineirom the roller" surface a dis! tance suihcientfor the pick up of a single tooth pick 1 1 6 1 9 1 a. d spensing operation and a apte t en age and actuate the agitating stripsto efieet the feeding of tooth picks thereon through the restricted passage and to the roller fordispens-ing thereby,

file of this." patent:

, UN TED STATES .PATENTS" Numb r Name Date 801,079 Graham Oct. 3, 1905 1,175,386

Spery' 4..-. Mar. 14, 1916 

